Not laying in egg box

[Deenok]

Every now and then an egg will be in the box. I have a ceramic one in each but only 3 of my 10 pullets are laying. They are 21 weeks and it’s exciting but the ones that aren’t laying keep kicking all of the straw out of box. What should I do because when they lay on coop floor they get covered in poop. It’s a tricky situation. What should I do ?

 

[Callender Girl]

I had the same problem in one of my coops -- the one in avatar -- and I eventually bought some plastic nest box liners online. The texture is kind of like Astroturf so it kind of cradles the hen and the eggs, and can't be kicked out of the box.

Of course, that doesn't mean that EVERYONE will nicely lay in the boxes. I still occasionally have poop-covered eggs on the floor. Especially when three of the hens decide to lay in the same box and have no regard for their coop-mate's eggs.

 

[aart]

What should I do ?

Show us pics of your nests.
They may need higher front lips, 4-6" above bedding.
But then again, newly laying pullets are notorious for tearing up the nests at first.
They should calm down after awhile.

 

[SueT]

If yours are not laying eggs in the boxes try putting their real eggs in the box as soon as they are laid and leave them in till end of day. The other girls will look in and say, hmmm, everyone else is laying in there, I guess I will too.

My new pullets kept kicking the neatly arranged bedding hay out of the nests. Finally I just left it out, and they are still laying eggs in the mostly empty nests which have cardboard lining and a bit of shavings in them. Okay, I said, if that's how you want it......

 

[GC-Raptor]

Like @aart said a lip on nests really helps.

My last to lay ISA Brown at 22 weeks old, (5.5 weeks after the first ISA to lay) was really messing up nests. Scratching around for days before laying. Some shavings were flying even with a lip, but not much.

Then she laid an egg, 2 days shy of 23 weeks.
Here she is right after leaving nest.

After she laid, no more shavings are being scratched out. GC